Striping machine for strand material



April 15, 1952 G. E. FORSBERG 2,592,675

STRIPING MACHINE FOR STRAND MATERIAL 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed April 29, 1949 INVENTOR GEORGE E. FORSBERG maizmmww ATTORNEY April 15, 1952 G. E. FORSBERG 2,592,675

STRIPING MACHINE FOR STRAND MATERIAL Filed April 29, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 v mv TOR GEORGE ORSBERG w jzimhoaflwg u ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 15, 1952 UNIT'ED ESTATES PATENT OFFICE S TRIPIN G MACHINE FOR'STRAND MATERIAL George E;' Forsberg, Worcester, Mass, assignor to Surprenant Mfg. 00., Boston, Mass.

Application April '29, 1949, Serial No. 90,391

posed, shown in copendingapplicationsSerial'No.

784,025,filed November 4, 1947, now PatentNo. 2,537,884, andSeriaPNoi 82,732, filed March 22, 1949, includes a rotatable striping 'unit having built therein ink wells communicating withinking pockets or chambers in which stripingdiscs turn due to peripheral engagement withthe wire being striped as it moves along the axis of the machine. The striping capacity of thatmachine for any period of continuous'operation is limited to the amount of ink which the wells can hold and when itis desired to stripe a long pieceof wire it is necessary to stop the machine and replenish the ink supply manually.

It is an importantobject of the present invention to provide striping mechanism includingone or more stationaryv reservoirs or tanks ofink to feed or supply ink to the inking pockets through ink receivers turning with the unit, and automatically control the 'delivery of ink'from e'ach stationary source to'the corresponding receiver and pocket so that ink will flow into any given pocket at a rate'proportionate tothat at which the ink in it is used up byits striping disc.

It is a further object of the invention'to deliver ink from each tank into its receiver through a delivery means the *mouthof which is located within an ink receiving compartment in the receiver and connect the compartment to its associated ink pocket in such manner that'when sufficient ink is present in the pocket it will maintain a sufficient depth or level of ink in the compartment to prevent flow of ink from the tank, but when the level" of ink in the pocket falls due to consumption by the disc there will be a corresponding drop'in thelevel of inkin the compartment and ink will be able to'flow into the latter to maintain the'desired level or" depth of ink in the pocket. This control is effected by changes in two forces at the mouth of the delivery member, one of these forcesbeing derived from the normal tendency of the ink to flow into the compartment, and the otherbeing-derived' from rotation of the ink in the compartment.

It is a further object of the invention to provide improved inkreceiver means-built up of a'plu- 12 rality of ring likemembers "each complete in itself and having an ink: receiving compartment c'ontained therein. These ring members rare arranged one over the other and communicate by appropriate passages with their corresponding ink-pockets.

"Since his 'essential that ink in the compartment shall be rotating in order to oppose flow of ink from'the delivery member it is afurther object of the invention to provide the compartment with ribsyvanes; or the like which will assist in causing the'ink in the compartment to rotatearound the axis of the machine.

Whenit is necessary to stop the machine there will ordinarily be some striping "ink in the compartments and inkingpockets, andin order that this ink maybe adequately handled Withoutmixingin the rotatableunit as the latterslows down, it is a further object of the invention to provide the unit withcatch wells; one for each pocket, into which the ink can flow as the machine com es'to rest. These wells diiier iromthe wells-previously proposed by mein that they are not primarily sources of the striping ink, but arepresentmerely to receive ink from the pockets whenthemachine is stopped. The-ink-depth or levelin the pockets will'orclinarilybe such that the ink cannot/enter the wells'while the machine is in operation. If it isdesired to restart the machineafter stopping the ink previously delivered'intothe wells will be returned by centrifugal force to-the inking pockets.

With these and other objectsin-viewwhich will appear as the description-proceeds; the invention resides in the combination and arrangementoi machine comprises" a frame ll] having a topor table I l which supports the striping unit designatedgenerally atU. A motor M 'supportedon the frame acts through a belt I2 to turn a pulley I3 secured to the lower end of the unit. The wire W to be striped is wound on a reel I4 which turns to supply the wire at the rate required. Take-up mechanism not shown herein but similar to that set forth in prior applications filed by me operates to draw the wire upwardly along the axis of unit U as the latter rotates. The rate at which the wire moves can be varied so that the length of the lay of the stripe or stripes being produced can be changed. It is not thought necessary to show the take-up mechanism herein and it is believed to be sufficient to state that during operation of a machine the unit U will rotate as the wire moves through it.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 3, the table has mounted thereon a block I5 and bearing member I6, and has on the underside thereof a second bearing member H, the block and bearing members being held to the table by bolts I8. A hollow' shaft I9 is rotatably mounted to turn about a vertical axis in upper and lower ball bearings mounted on the bearing members. The shaft I9 has a bore 2I through which extends a stationary guide tube 22 within which the wire W travels. A guide 23 at the top of 'tube 22 serves to direct the wire along the axis of the unit U.

The rotating unit includes a base 25 and ahead block 26 secured thereto by screws 21. The upper part of shaft I9 is screw threaded as at 28 into the bottom of base 25 and set screw 29 holds the base securely on the shaft. The base is formed with chambers three of which are shown herein at 30, and similarly the head block has chambers 3|. These chambers radiate from the axis of the machine and their outer ends remote from the machine axis form three inking pockets PI, P2 and P3, see Fig. 4. The base 25 has an ink catch well 32 formed therein below each ink pocket, these wells have their axes inclinedslightly in an upward and outward direction so that ink in a well can by centrifugal force be caused to rise into the associated pocket. Each well may have a drain plug 33 which can be removed for cleaning p poses.

Extending upwardly from the table I I are arms 35 supporting a platform 36 on which are mounted three tanks or reservoirs 31, 38 and 39 containing striping ink which may be of the same or diverse colors. Each tank has leading therefrom an ink delivery member which may be in the form of a pipe or tube, these delivery members being designated at 40, M and 42. A valve 43 in each pipe can be closed when the machine is not in operation and opened to supply ink while the unit U is rotating. Each delivery member has a mouth 45 through which ink can flow in a direction either toward or from the associated tank.

Mounted on top of the head block 26 is an ink receiver means R made of a plurality of ring like ink receiver members concentric with the axis of unit U and secured to the head block by screws 59. These members are designated at 5I-, 52 and 53 and correspond respectively to ink pockets 54, 55 and 56. Each of the ring members has a vertical circular wall 51 and an ink compartment opening preferably inwardly from the wall toward the axis of the machine. These compartments are designated at 60, BI and 62 and each is formed as a groove in its ring member extending upwardly and inwardly toward the axis, as will be apparent from Fig. 3. Each ink compartment is complete within its own member and has a circular Opening 63 concentric with the machine axis and adapted to receive one or another of the delivery tubes 40-42. Extending into each compartment from the wall 5'! thereof are vanes or ribs designated at 65.

The circular vertical walls 51 are provided with three vertical bores 66, 6'! and 68 one only of which communicates with the associated'ink compartment by means of a passage 69. The members 5I53 are arranged in vertical order one over the other as shown in Fig. 3 with the bores in their walls 51 vertically aligned in groups to form vertical ducts III, 'II and I2. The ring members are so disposed or staggered angularly with respect to each other that only one of the passages 69 communicates with one of the ducts. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, the compartment 60 communicates with duct I0 through passage 69 but does not communicate with either of the other ducts. The head block 26 has a plurality of short ink passages I5 entering the upper part of the pockets and registering one by one with the ducts 'I0'I2. Each pocket is, therefore, in communication with but one compartment, and ink in the latter will flow into the former.

The low end of each of the delivery members or tubes 40--42 enters its corresponding compartment and is bent laterally as at 8B in a direction opposite to that in which the unit rotates. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2, tube 42 is bent to the left and the unit rotates to the right in the direction of arrow a, hence any ink in the compartment corresponding to delivery tube 42 will move in a direction toward the mouth 45 thereof.

In operation, the unit will be set in rotation as the machine is started, and the valves 43 then opened, and ink in the tanks will have a tendency to flow through the associated delivery members into the corresponding compartments. This tendency to flow as set forth herein is attained by having the tanks above the unit, the flow force being that derived from gravity, but gravity is not the only force which can "be utilized to cause ink to tend to flow from the delivery mouths.

With the valves 43 open ink will flow into the compartments and will flow from the latter into their corresponding inking pockets and be held in the latter spaced from the inking station S by centrifugal force. As ink continues to flow into the compartments the depth of ink in the pockets and compartments will increase so that the wall of the ink will move toward the axis of the machine. When ink in any given compartment attains such a depth as to immerse part of the corresponding ink delivery mouth 45 the force of the ink in the compartment, due to its rotation around the axis, will oppose the normal tendency of ink to flow out of the mouth into the compartment, and when these forces are balanced ink will cease to flow from the associated tank. As the striping operation continues ink will be used up and the depth of ink will diminish and less of the mouth will be immersed in ink in the compartment, whereupon the normal tendency of ink to flow from the tank will again assert itself and reestablish the normal depth of ink in the compartment.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 6, the lines LI and L2 represent the limits of depth of ink which will normally exist within a compartment. When there is considerable ink in a pocket and its associated compartment, as by rise of residual ink from the associated catch well by centrifugal force, the level of ink, or itsdepth, may be that represented, for instancefl by line "L! and the greater part or all or the mouth lii will be immersed in the ink in the compartment. Due to rotation of this inkand the fact that it exerts a greater force inthe mouth 45 than that exerted by'gravity ink will be forced up the corresponding pipe or tube to the corresponding stationary tank. This process will continue "until thedepth of ink falls to-some such level as that indicated at line L2,-whereupon the force exerted by the rotating mass of ink in the compartment will not be able to'overcome the" gravity force and ink" will againflow'into the compartment.

While the two lines LI and L2 have been shown as defining the normal limits of depth of ink in a compartment, it is probable that the actual working depth lies'betweenthese two lines at a position determined impart -by the rate of rotation of the ink and the radial distance of mouth 45 'from the machine axis, and-also the head or gravity force tending to discharge ink from the mouth. As the-depth of ink in a tank decreases due to use ofthe inkthe pressuredue to gravity willdiminish. Also, there-will be-more slip between the rotating receiver ring and a thin ink than a thick ink;-so that some variation-in pressure exerted atmouth-45 by the rotating ink will exist, depending uponthe ink. The vanes '65 are for the purpose of reducing theaforesaid slip. These several factors will all: have some bearing on the actual=depth of ink. in thepockets and compartments.

Because of the connection between each pocket and its compartment .theitdepth, ofsinkin them I will have. a common. level which will change simultaneously in. both the pocket and compartment. When the ink in compartment-60, for instance, is ata level corresponding to line Ll, Fig. 6, the level of ink in the. pocket Pl will be as determined by line LI in Fig. 3, that is, it will be beyond the corresponding well 32. This will be true of all the pockets and their wells when the machine is running at full speed, and under these conditions the wells will be empty.

When it is necessary to stop the machine the ink flow will be stopped by closing the valves 43, but there will remain in each. compartment and its associated pocketsome ink" which as themachine slows downandcentrifugal force diminishes willfiow into the associated catchwell. Upon resumption of operationiink inany well will be acted uponby centrifugal force and will return to its associated pocket.

It will thus be seen-that the-flow of' i'nkfrom each tank into its corresponding inking pocket is self-regulating, the normal pressure tending to cause flow of ink from a tank into its compartment being less than the pressure exerted by the rotating mass of ink in the compartment, and these pressures being exerted over changing areas of the mouth 45 so that the forces exerted at the mouth will cause ink to flow out of or into the mouth. Even though slight vibration of the machine should cause alternating inflow and outflow, there will be an average outflow just sufiicient to replenish the ink used to stripe the wire.

To illustrate a means by which ink in the pockets can be transferred to the wire to stripe it there is shown herein an inking disc arrangement similar to that shown in the previously mentioned copending applications. Three discs 85, 86 and 81 are provided, one for each inking pocket, each disc being of large enough diameter so that the outer part of its periphery will be beyond, or farther"from the axis itham the minimum level of-ink in-its po'cket'and the mouth45 of the associated delivery member, see Fig. 3, to insuretinking of the disc. The discperipheries adjacent to theaxis; locatedat the inkingstation S, engage and have driven relationship relative'towire' W. Eachdisc is rotatably: mounted on a carrier88 on: which it is turned as the wire rises, the freshly inked surface of the periphery of each disc rising "toengage-the'wirepthe discs rotating in the directionof arrow b; Fig. 3, while theyare revolved around the wire due to rotation of unit U. The machine shown herein can produce one, two or three helical stripes on thewire,

' but the inventionxis not limited-to this number of stripes.

In order to complete the disclosureof a striping machine embodying the invention,'-brief mention will be made of means for changing theanglesof the planes ofthedisc to produce stripes at different angles to the axis, andmeans toadapt the discs to'wires of difierent diameters.

A ring gear rotatable about theunit meshes with three pinions 9|, one for each carrier -88 and turning therewith. Turning or the ring gear relatively to the unit changes theangle of the carriersand discs. Supports 92 hold gear 90 in mesh withrits pinions. 'A' second ring gear 93 meshes with pinions 94 screw threaded onthe shanks -95 of the carriers. Each shank'passes through a bearing SBsecuredto theunitUrand the pinions 9i and 94 for each shank fitsnugly between the associated bearing-96 and the unit. When ring gear 93 -is turned on the unit its pinions turn and by the screw threads move the carrier and disc radially. This operation isperformed while gear 90 is held-fixed to the unit by a clamp 91. Clamp 98 holds ring gear 93 in adjustedposition on the unit. The shanks are not threaded in the pinions 9| or bearings SB but are reduced to slidein them when radial adjustm'ents arebeingmade. A key 99 connecting each pinion 9| to its'shank is short enough to allow the required radial adjustment.

The ring gears and their pinions are not claimed herein; as theyare part of'the matter claimed in an application -Serial- No. 90,392 filed by Donnan on even date herewith.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the invention sets'forth simple me'ansby which the ink" flowing from a stationary" reservoir or tank into an inking pocket' can regulateitself-so that the properamount of inkcan be automatically maintained in the pocket. The differences in forces exertedat the mouth of each ink delivery tube or member by gravity and the rotating ink in the receiver determines when ink shall flow out of, and when into, the mouth. The receiver rings are complete in themselves, each containing an ink compartment. The ribs or vanes in the compartments help to keep ink in the compartments rotating. The catch wells are not ordinarily occupied by ink, but receive ink from the pockets and compartments when the machine is stopped.

Having thus described the invention it will be seen that changes and modifications of the foregoing specific disclosure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a striping machine having a vertical axis along which a wire moves to be striped when the machine is in operation, a striping unit rotating about said axis and having an inking pocket 7 therein and striping means extending into the pocket a given distance from said axis and striping the wire when the machine is in operation, the unit being closed below said pocket to prevent escape of ink, a stationary reservoir for striping ink above said unit, a stationary ink delivery member having amouth spaced from said axis by a distance less than said given distance through which ink can flow from said reservoir to said unit, an ink receiver secured to and rotatablewith said unit comprising a ring member concentric with said axis and formed with a circular ink compartment therein above said pocket, said compartment having an opening therein extending continuously around said axis opening toward the latter through which said delivery member extends to locate saidmouth in said compartment to deliver ink to the latter from said reservoir, and said ink receiver having a vertical duct therein farther from said axis than is said mouth communicating with said pocket and through which ink can flow from said compartment into said pocket to compensate for ink drawn from said pocket due to operation of said striping means.

2. In a striping machine having a vertical axis along which a wire moves continuously to be striped when the machine is in operation, a striping unit rotating about said axis and having an inking pocket therein and striping means in the pocket extending a given distance from said axis striping the wire when the machine operates, the unit being closed below said pocket to hold ink, a stationary reservoir for striping ink having a hollow stationary inkdelivery member formed with a mouth spaced from said axis less than said given distance to deliver ink from the reservoir to the unit, an ink receiver secured to the top of the unit and rotatable with the latter comprising a ring member having an ink compartment therein formed with an opening therein extending around said axis and opening toward and concentric with said axis, a wall forming part of said compartment concentric with said axis and farther from th latter than is said opening, said delivery member extending through said opening and said mouth being located in said compartment to deliver ink from said reservoir into said compartment, and said unit having an ink passage therein beyond said wall with reference to said axis communicating with said compartment and pocket through which ink can flow from said compartment, down into said pocket to compensate for ink drawn from said pocket incident to operation of said striping means.

3. Astriping machine as set forth in claim 2} wherein the unit is provided with an ink catch well below and communicating with said inking said striping means to a point nearer said axis than is said mouth.

5. In a striping machine having a vertical axis along which a wire moves to be striped when the machine is in operation, a striping unit rotating about said axis and having an inking pocket therein and striping means extending into the pocket a given distance from said axis and striping the wire as the machine operates, a stationary reservoir for striping ink above said unit, an ink receiver secured to said unit above said pocket and rotating with the unit when the latter rotates and comprising an ink compartment formed with an opening extending continuously around and concentric with and opening toward said axis, a. hollow stationary ink delivery member connected to said reservoir having a part thereof extending between said axis and said receiver and having another part thereof extending through said opening into said compartment, said other part of said ink delivery member having an ink delivery mouth within said compartment located at a distance from said axis less than said given distance to deliver ink from said reservoir to said compartment, and said receiver having an ink passage therein connecting said compartment with said pocket located farther from said axis than is said mouth through which ink can flow from said compartment into said pocket to compensate for ink drawn from the pocket by operation of said striping means.

GEORGE E. FORSBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 293,095 Sawyer Feb. 5, 1884 951,147 Porter Mar. 8, 1910 1,956,951 Hinsky May 1, 1934 2,099,988 Norris Nov. 23, 1937 2,359,568 Logan Oct. 3, 1944 2,425,266 Robbins Aug. 5, 1947 2,441,327 Norris May 11, 1948 

